Tamarac Rec Center Accused Of Hostility Toward Special Needs Kids

TAMARAC (CBS4) – The operators of a summer camp for special needs kids say the manager of a family recreational center in Tamarac have crossed the line.

Thirty children, most with autism from the ARC Broward, went to the Funtastic Cafe in Tamarac Tuesday for a field trip.

Funtastic Cafe features a wonderland of bounce houses where kids can play for hours at a time.

According to ARC counselors and even two employees of Funtastic Cafe, the manager belittled the kids and threw them out early.

The two workers of Funtastic Cafe spoke to CBS4 on condition of anonymity.

“When they got there he told me we’re gonna have a rough time, and the kids were acting fine,” one worker said.

Another worker broke down in tears describing herself as someone who suffers from disabilities.

“I have autism in my family and what happened isn’t right. It’s not fair for the kids. They weren’t doing anything wrong.”

But the manager of Funtastic Cafe says none of it is true.

“It’s a total lie,” said Doug Cairs.

According to Cairs the children were unruly and there wasn’t adequate supervision. Cairs also claims a boy and a girl from the group were naked in the bathrooms, and that caused another guest to get upset.

“I am shocked. I don’t know why he didn’t bring any problem to my attention so we could address it,” says Ali Kellett who was the team leader.

According to ARC they have never had any problem at any other facility in Broward County. They consider what happened a teachable moment.

Joan Murray

Joan Murray is an award winning reporter who joined CBS Miami in August 2001 shortly before the September 11th attacks. She was among the first to report the South Florida connection to the terrorists.
In her many years reporting in South Florida...